The Story of our Long Lost 443.000 Machine

443.000 (100.0) Repeater Back on the Air in a New Home:
The Plaza West Building near Markham & University

The 443.000+ (100.0) machine has been repaired and realigned by a Motorola Certified Technician and moved to the 12-story Plaza West Building, the second highest point in Little Rock. The repair technician said the repeater is in remarkable shape. This move was approved by the CAUHF Board on August 8, 2014.

Currently it is transmitting 32 watts on a temporary antenna until we can procure a high gain commercial antenna. Coverage could reach as far as Benton and Conway or about a 20 mile radius.

This repeater is the legendary Motorola MSF-5000 and it is NOT linked to the AR Links System. Use this repeater anytime you need LR/NLR Handie-Talkie coverage or you simply have no need to contact anyone on the AR Links System. The repair and re-location team for this project included Steven Hicks, W5NLR, Margie Wofford, KG5EPM and we were also assisted by a licensed electrician who holds a General Radio Operators License (GROL).

As stated above, the Motorola MSF-5000 is indeed a legendary repeater. It’s reign spanned the era before and after the introduction of digital radios, from the early 1980’s until the mid-2000’s or about 25 years. It was discontinued about 10 years ago and now, only used or surplus parts can be found. Unfortunately, thousands of these (still working) repeaters have gone to scrap yards and landfills to make way for digital radios and repeaters.

Yet, hundreds of these solid state, analog repeaters–in many variations–still remain on 24 hour duty in small town police and fire departments across America and around the world. Many remain in commercial service as well, dispatching plumbers, electricians and pest control operators to customer service calls. It was undeniably, one of Motorola’s most successful, dependable and profitable products. Only God knows how many thousands of lives and how many billions of dollars in property have been saved as the result of emergency communications routed through a Motorola MSF-5000. We are fortunate to have this one collectors’ item, shined up, finely tuned and still serving those of us in amateur radio. — W5NLR